The invention concerns a device and a method for centering the private vehicles on a platform, gripping them and transporting them quickly, in order to park them in a space-saving way, and upon request getting them again from the parked position automatically and handing them over to the user.
In combination with a modular design, such that this device can be quickly and easily mounted, dismantled and remounted, this is a less costly alternative for the indoor car parks, parking silos, multi-storeyed car parks and similar systems with a higher utilization of space.
Private vehicles are parked on the road, in parking lots, in garages, multi-storeyed car parks or also in access-controlled automated parking systems. In the typical multi-storeyed car parks, only about 40% of the ground area and around 30% of the enclosed volume can be used for parking the private vehicles. While an average automobile is about 1.7 m wide, 1.6 m high and 4.4. m long, which results in a cubic volume of around 12 m3, the regular multi-storeyed car parks and parking systems include a volume of up to 80 m3 and more per vehicle. In contrast to the earlier models, the modern cars with their compact motors are no longer rectangular in their shape. These taper conically or in oval shape mainly at the front, starting from the rear-view mirror at the side, for which reason a rectangular parking area cannot be used optimally. A lot of valuable space is thus lost in the usual parking systems through entry and exit paths, maneuvering, space for opening doors, stairs, lifts, footway, solid pillars and beams, the minimum floor height for persons, as well as escape routes, illumination and fire-extinguishing systems etc. Parking needs time and skill and is perceived as unpleasant.
In other systems the cars are lifted high with lifting systems, in order to save place, and then these are parked closely by staff (valet parking). This makes parking more expensive and increases the access time.
In the existing parking systems, it is necessary to drive-in the car exactly in a parking slot for parking, where the driver automatically receives instructions for cantering the vehicle on a palette. These palettes, which are needed for displacing the vehicle, show a rectangular area with the minimum length and width of the largest car to be parked, plus tolerances for inaccurate parking and maneuvering. As such, more area is needed than the effective average ground area of the vehicle. Furthermore, before each parking these palettes must be procured or replaced, which needs a complicated mechanism and extensive control and consumes a lot of time and space.
In case of other systems with fixed platforms hanging from vertical chains, which can be seen occasionally in Asia, the enclosed space can be used only poorly and the long access time restricts the actual number of parking spots.
The known systems are designed as fixed structures, which do not permit an economical and quick parking and hence are suitable only for the long-term permanent usage. The long construction time, high investments and the long-term retention have an investment-dampening effect.